ATLANTA — An art house movie theater that has entertained Atlanta movie goers for 55 years is closing its doors.

Regal Cinemas confirmed to Channel 2 that the Tara Theatre off Cheshire Bridge Road will shut down.

“As part of our real estate optimization strategy, Regal has made the decision to close our Regal Tara Theatre as we continue to position our company for long-term growth. We are working to support our employees through this transition, and we thank them for helping to make us the ‘Best Place to Watch a Movie,’” a Regal spokesperson said in a statement.

The popular theater chain did not confirm when the Tara Theatre’s final day will be; however, the Regal website doesn’t list any showtimes past Thursday.

Regal says its other theaters, including Atlantic Station, Hollywood I-85 and Perimeter Pointe, will remain open and operating as usual.

“We look forward to continuing to serve our guests and members at these locations and providing them with the most memorable cinema experiences.”

Tara Theatre originally opened as Lowe’s Tara in 1968 with a showing of “Gone With the Wind.” Its name is pulled from the film, where protagonist Scarlett O’Hara grew up on the Tara plantation.

In the 1980s, local arthouse theater owner George Lefont bought the Tara and it became one of the top spots to see independent films. The theater was purchased a decade later by United Artists Theaters, which merged with another chain to form Regal Entertainment in 2002.

With the Tara closing, it leaves only two arthouse theaters left in the area: Plaza Theatre and Landmark’s Midtown Art Cinema.

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